Winterstoke Hundred Academy

Inspection of Winterstoke Hundred Academy 1 Beaufighter Road, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset BS24 8EE

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive principal of this school is Tony Searle. This school is part of the Cabot Learning Federation, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Steve Taylor, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Dr Paul Olomolaiye. 14 and 15 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since opening in September 2020 with one year group, the pupil population has increased and so the school has changed significantly year-on-year. Pupils have adapted to the changes and are well supported by staff, both for their well-being and academically. This also applies to students who join the school in the sixth form.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is calm and orderly. All pupils know the routines for learning. Pupils share the limited social space with students from the sixth form. Sometimes, these areas can become noisy and crowded. However, staff manage this well. The school expects to move into a new building in the near future.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school creates a sense of belonging for pupils. For example, the innovative breakfast club makes it attractive to come to school. As a result, many pupils arrive early and attend well. Many pupils participate in the wide programme of clubs, such as cadets, quilting, pop-up choir and a full range of sports. Many pupils follow the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme or volunteer at the local food bank.

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better?

The trust works with teachers to develop a well-organised and ambitious curriculum. As a result, teachers know how the curriculum builds over time. They adapt and structure learning to be relevant for pupils. The sixth form has rapidly expanded since the school opened. The sixth-form curriculum has adapted and changed as numbers have increased. The school ensures there is a broad and ambitious offer for students that prepares them for their chosen pathways. Students select from a range of A-level and vocational courses. These lead to university entrance, apprenticeships and training for future careers.

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better?

Teachers’ curriculum thinking is detailed and specific. They successfully model and revisit previous learning and so pupils build on what they have previously learned. For example, pupils develop their rhetoric skills well in English. Teachers check how well pupils have understood what they are learning. However, some of the checks are not done well. This means some teachers do not know when pupils have misconceptions.

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better?

As the school has grown, the support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) has not developed as quickly. However, the school has recently implemented a more robust approach to ensure pupils with SEND get the support they need. Teachers now have the specific information about pupils’ needs so they can put strategies in place to help them. Training helps teachers to make adaptations for pupils. As a result, the support for pupils with SEND is improving. Parents have identified the positive impact of this and the improved communication from the school. In the sixth form, pupils with SEND are well supported so they can follow their chosen courses. 14 and 15 November 2023

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The school has threaded reading throughout the curriculum. Staff training focuses on knowledge of reading through all subject areas. The school has selected books for their diversity or modern appeal for the tutor-based reading programme. However, the school has been slow to support those pupils who struggle to read. Even so, these pupils are now receiving help with basic reading skills.

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The personal, social and health education curriculum is well implemented. Pupils learn about relationships and sex education in an age-appropriate way. Pupils learn about fundamental British values, tolerance and respect throughout the curriculum. The careers programme has grown with the school. Beginning in Year 7, pupils learn about careers. Sixth-form students receive helpful guidance about their next steps in education or training. The school is developing greater opportunities for pupil leadership. For example, anti-bullying ambassadors have created a pupil-led anti- bullying policy.

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As the school has grown, some systems and processes have not adapted quickly enough. This has meant some communication with parents has not been timely or responsive. The school has now begun to help parents feel better informed. The trust provides networks and professional development structures for staff in all roles. This is developing a shared understanding of the school vision.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, systems used by teachers to check what pupils understand are not used accurately. As a result, some teachers are not clear how well pupils are learning. They do not have the information to respond when some pupils do not understand. The trust needs to make sure teachers check pupils’ understanding effectively.  Planned reading interventions for pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read are in their infancy. Staff are trained, but reading interventions have not happened quickly enough. As a result, pupils do not develop their reading fluency promptly. The trust needs to make sure pupils receive effective support to secure their reading.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 14 and 15 November 2023

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 14 and 15 November 2023

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sixth form

Principal Tony Searle (Executive Principal)

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sixth form

Website www.winterstokehundredacademy.clf.uk

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Winterstoke Hundred Academy opened to pupils as a new free school on 1 September 2020. Currently, the school has pupils in Years 7 to 10 and a sixth form.  The school is part of the Cabot Learning Federation.  The previous principal left the school in September 2023. The executive principal has had day-to-day leadership of the school since that time.  The school is due to relocate to a new building within the school year. The new school building is at a different address. The current building will continue as a post-16 provision. Some key stage 4 lessons will also take place in the current school building.  The school uses two unregistered alternative providers. 14 and 15 November 2023

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 The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, science, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors held discussions with the executive principal, members of the senior leadership team, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, the CEO and trust leaders.  Inspectors spoke with pupils from key stages 3, 4 and 5 about their experiences of school. They met with groups of pupils, as well as speaking to them in lessons

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Information about this inspection

and during social times.  To review governance, the lead inspector met with a trustee from the trust’s board of directors and the chair of the local academy council.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school improvement plan, self-evaluation documents, minutes of academy council meetings, and records of behaviour and attendance.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors spoke to the alternative providers used by the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also viewed the responses to the pupil survey and the responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Rachel Hesketh, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tom Morrison Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 November 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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